Elections 2026

Declaração da plataforma

INTRODUCTION 

My name’s Linda Bekoe, CEO and Founder of About Partners Luxury Brands Collection, with over two decades of experience in the travel industry. And I’m excited to submit my candidacy for the Allied At-Large board position. 

I’m standing for election because our industry is at a pivotal moment. We’re navigating new markets, embracing diverse cultures, and adapting to a rapidly evolving landscape. It’s essential that we remain at the forefront of this change – driving growth, nurturing talent, and, most importantly, delivering greater value to our members. 

I’ve been part of the GBTA community since 2009. As a supplier, a business owner, a member, and current Chair of the Inclusion and Culture Committee. In that time, I’ve seen this association grow in ambition, in reach, and in its commitment to supporting the global business travel community it serves. I know the transformation and lasting impact we can create. 

I also understand deeply the global influence and importance of our organisation in shaping businesses and the future of our industry. The markets driving the next chapter of growth are no longer the ones we know best. The opportunities are significant. And the organisations that will capitalise on them are those with the tools, the mindset and the cultural intelligence to operate effectively across the globe. 

Cultural intelligence has the powerful ability to strengthen businesses, foster meaningful connections, and enable our industry to thrive. 

Helping realise that is the contribution I want to make as a member of our board. 

MY VISION 

Culture. Collaboration. Capital. 

Business travel exists to forge the relationships that make business happen. And the quality of those relationships depends on cultural intelligence. 

It isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s what turns a meeting into a partnership, a conversation into a contract, a connection into lasting commercial value. And it’s the business case for our growth. 

The next chapter for GBTA isn’t coming from the markets we know best. It’s coming from Africa, from Asia, from South America — regions that represent new members, new markets and new revenue for GBTA and every organisation in our community. Regions where cultural intelligence isn’t optional. Where the difference between understanding and misunderstanding local norms and business protocols is the difference between winning business and losing it entirely. If we fail to develop that intelligence, GBTA risks becoming less relevant, less representative, and ultimately less valuable to its members. 

Cultural intelligence isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the business case for our growth. 

Organisations that invest in cultural intelligence don’t just do the right thing. They outperform. They unlock greater innovation. They access markets others can’t reach. They attract and retain better talent. And they consistently deliver stronger financial returns — research shows they’re 35% more likely to achieve above-average financial returns. The business case isn’t ambiguous, it’s compelling, and it’s the GBTA we should be building. 

My vision is for a GBTA that leads on this. That views cultural intelligence not as a value statement, but as a growth strategy that drives revenue, deepens supplier partnerships, opens new markets, and equips every member — buyer, supplier, planner, leader — with the tools, insight and confidence to turn cultural understanding into commercial advantage. 

Culture drives collaboration. And collaboration drives capital. That’s what I’m here to help build. 

MY PRIORITIES 

01 Make Cultural Intelligence a Strategic Business Tool 

Cultural competence should be as fundamental to a travel programme as cost management or risk policy. My priority is to equip GBTA members with the practical frameworks, training and resources to embed cultural intelligence into their travel programmes, supplier relationships, meetings strategy and internal teams. Not as an aspiration, but as standard operating practice. 

This means raising GBTA’s global cultural IQ across our membership: helping buyers, suppliers and planners understand how cultural dynamics – language, local norms, generational values, communication styles – directly impact business outcomes. And it means ensuring every culture and inclusion initiative is tied to measurable results. ROI. Member value. Business performance. Evidence is what turns good intentions into lasting change. 

02 Grow GBTA’s Global Reach 

The business travel industry’s greatest untapped opportunity lies in the regions that are currently underrepresented in our leadership, our membership and our programming. Africa, South America, and key markets across Asia are not future considerations, they’re present realities that our members are already navigating, often without the support and insight they need. 

I’ll advocate for GBTA to build genuine presence and relevance in these markets: deepening local engagement, developing layered regional frameworks that balance global consistency with local intelligence, and ensuring that the association’s voice, resources and community reflect the full geography of global business travel. 

03 Deepen Inclusion and Representation 

GBTA’s strength lies in the diversity of its community – buyers and suppliers, large corporates and SMEs, established markets and emerging ones. My commitment is to ensure that diversity is genuinely reflected at every level of the association: in its membership, its leadership, its committees and its programming. 

Building on the work of the Inclusion and Culture Committee, I will push for broader geographic and cultural representation, amplify underrepresented voices, and ensure GBTA remains an association where every member, wherever they are in the world, feels seen, valued and served. 

WHY ME. WHY LINDA BEKOE 

Because I’ve spent over twenty years building and leading a hospitality and travel business that operates across five continents. 

Spanning operations, commercial strategy and leadership, the cultural intelligence I’m advocating for isn’t theoretical. It’s baked into how I operate every day as CEO of APLBC, directly contributing to a business growth mindset that delivers success in culturally complex markets – I understand both the challenge and the commercial opportunity because I live them day in day out.  

Within GBTA, I’ve served our community since 2009 and currently chair the Inclusion and Culture Committee. I bring the perspective of a global operator, the experience of a proven inclusion champion, and a genuine commitment to service – to mentoring the next generation, to amplifying underrepresented voices, and to building an association that delivers real value for every one of its members. 

CALL TO ACTION 

I ask for your support, your vote and your partnership. 

Together, we’ll make cultural intelligence a competitive advantage for every GBTA member. We’ll build the global reach our industry deserves. And we’ll ensure that GBTA leads, not follows, the next chapter of business travel growth. 

Culture. Collaboration. Capital. 

Linda Bekoe | GBTA Board Candidate 2026 | At-Large Allied Seat